WHATâ€™S IN A NAME?: Small town history provides a comic relief

November 15, 2013

An original sign designating the once-was town of Lorane, had it misspelled as â€śLorain.â€ť The sign has now been refurbished (right) for a second time by Gary Burelison. Burelison is originally from Lorane, and made sure the new placard correctly displays the townâ€™s name.Photos contributed

LORANE â€” Whitley County is peppered with towns that once existed on their own, but have since been incorporated into larger municipalities.

Although time may have diminished small townsâ€™ independence, the legacy and history behind places such as Peabody and Tunker still live on.

Never has that sentiment been more true than for the little town that once was â€” Lorane.

Located off of West Lincolnway, near the County Road 350 West intersection, the town was founded in 1850.

In 1851, a post office was established in a small country general store which burned in 1855.

However, itâ€™s a somewhat comical story that has left the town with three variations of its name.

Gary Burelison, who grew up in Lorane, and some of his friends, had a pure motive to better Loraneâ€™s town marker â€” but the best intentions couldnâ€™t erase the blunder that came from a simple good deed.

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